Single-Cell RNA-Seq of Mouse Bone Marrow from the RRRM-2 Spaceflight Mission

Single-cell transcriptional profiling data from the humerus bone marrow of mice flown on the Rodent Research Reference Mission-2 (RRRM-2). The dataset includes data from 16 mice, specifically 4 young flight animals, 4 old flight animals, and their 8 age-matched ground controls from the Live Animal Return (LAR) cohort. The data was generated by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and was last updated in March 2026.

Use Cases

• Identify cell-type-specific transcriptional changes in bone marrow based on spaceflight exposure described in the mission.
• Compare aging-related gene expression differences in a microgravity environment based on the young and old mouse cohorts.
• Analyze the effects of post-flight recovery on bone marrow transcriptomes based on the Live Animal Return (LAR) experimental group.

Strengths

• Data originates from a controlled spaceflight experiment with independent ground, basal, and vivarium control groups, totaling 160 mice.
• Experimental design isolates effects of age and spaceflight exposure with 12-week-old and 29-week-old cohorts.
• Data is from a specific tissue (humerus bone marrow) enabling focused biological investigation.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• The provided dataset is a subset (16 mice) of the full 160-mouse experiment.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Single-cell transcriptional profiling from humerus bone marrow of mice flown on the International Space Station for the RRRM-2 mission.

Time Range

Data collected during the RRRM-2 mission, with on-orbit sacrifices after 55-58 days and post-recovery sacrifices after a total of 56 days (32 days flight + 24 days recovery).

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 19:47:27.913858; freshness should be verified.

Geography

International Space Station and associated ground control facilities.